Gozo will never be the same again after tomorrow.

In fact, it has not been quite the same since June 30, when Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Minister for Gozo Anton Refalo officially inaugurated the project to implement the recommendations of the new Ċittadella master plan.

Since then, the heart of Gozo has started beating to a different rhythm – giving a new injection of enthusiasm to the island that has recently been taking big steps forward: from being Malta’s little sister to becoming a relevant international destination in its own right.

It’s not only a facelift, which is there for everybody to see and enjoy. It is a question of restoring the pride and the spirit of a place that has meant so much for the archipelago over the centuries and that can now shape a new creative era.

The Swar u Ħajja open night tomorrow will certainly enhance this vibrant momentum, launching a season of events, performance and visual arts in the Ċittadella until September.

From 7.30pm till midnight, local and international artists and performers will animate the narrow and historical alleys, enlivening old and new locations in a total of 63 places of interest, including the brand new interactive Visitors Centre – which is located in two unused water reservoirs – and the rehabilitated ditch, which is now a surprising leisure and cultural venue.

Every single centimetre of space will become the perfect stage for re-enactments, performing acts, dance installations, acrobatic spectacles, live bands and children’s hands-on activities.

“We will play on the Visitors Centre’s rooftop,” Gabriella Azzopardi, the vocalist of Gozitan band Novel, explains.

“Saturday, July 9 [tomorrow] will be a magnificent night filled with music, movement,  colours and life. We will definitely see a different and better version of the Ċittadella.  I am ecstatic to see the end results of its rebirth.”

The band’s performance will include several songs from international and local artists as well as some original music.

“We will also have the honour of accompanying Ivan Grech from Winter Moods,” she adds.

Italian performer and choreographer Marianna Adrigo will be scaling the walls of St Martin’s Bastion in a gravity-defying performance, together with dancer Michela Lorenzano.

“It’s such a privilege for us to perform on so much beauty and history! My goal is to show that dance can be ‘vertical’ and can be done on the walls of the buildings, not only on the floors. Using ropes, harnesses and descenders, I will play with the lack of gravity.”

Director Amina Contin, who moved from Florence to Gozo eight years ago, has chosen eight different locations for her interactive acts.

“The Ċittadella is an open-air theatre itself and it was easy for me to select the best scenarios for my acts, from the main gate to the old prisons, from the battery to the silos.”

Actually, she knows the Ċittadella very well, as she had already directed the play 12 Steps here in 2012.

“I hope my acts will contribute to making Gozitans and visitors love the Ċittadella as I do,” she says.

Falling in love with the new Ċittadella by night (out) will not be difficult, thanks to Bluetooth technology and a special dedicated application, aimed at offering any smartphone instant and relevant facts, videos and photos while touring.

Available as a free, downloadable app, it includes bilingual information about sites, monuments, locations and venues, as well as a 360˚, 3D virtual reality video.

“All the performances and activities – a mix of traditional and contemporary, prepared by a variety of local and foreign artists – have been chosen to highlight Ċittadella’s spaces and places,” explains Deborah Agius, adviser on culture and performing arts for the Ministry of Gozo.

“#ĊittadellaGozo is set to celebrate the icon of Gozo and write a new chapter in its history”.

In fact, the night out at the Ċittadella is simply the kick-start to maximising and demonstrating the great potential of the place as a historic venue and performing location.

#ĊittadellaGozo will allow space and time for a calendar of events spreading all summer long and beyond. Next September, the Ċittadella will host the first International Yoga Day, as the island is going more and more holistic, introducing many other attractive events.

Coming to the new spectacular ditch tomorrow will be the children’s playground. Emma Morgan has been organising hands-on activities and storytelling for both playing and learning.

“I don’t like children simply watching. I prefer them to experience new things. I will focus on the idea of recycling and transforming old stuff into something new,” Morgan says.

Past and future will tomorrow merge in a lively and intriguing present. And that’s why Gozo will never be the same again.

#ĊittadellaGozo takes place tomorrow from 7.30pm. The programme and further details are available on www.facebook.com/ċittadellagozo/ and www. visitgozo.com/en/event/special-events/a-night-out-at-ċittadella-17026/.